Electrical connector having conductor sheath penetrating means



A. ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR HAVING CONDUCTOR SHEATH'PENETRATING MEANS Filed April 1, 1951 Get. 30, 1956 PERONTI 2,769,153

INVENTOR. ANTHONY PEQONTI ATTOENEY$ United States PatentO ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR HAVING .CONDUC- TOR SHEATH PENETRATING MEANS Anthony Peronti, Chicago, Ill., assignor of one-half to Phillip J. Mesi, Chicago, Ill.

This invention relates to electrical connectors, and more particularly has reference to a connector so designed as to eliminate the stripping of the leads of an electrical cord or conductor to be attached thereto.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a generally improved device of the character referred to, wherein the respective leads of the inserted conductor can be electrically connected to conductive tongues carried by the device merely by threading of a set screw inwardly into engagement with the leads, to force the leads against the respective tongues, whereby the same will be impaled on the tongues for electricalcontact.

Another object of importance is to provide a device as described which will be so designed as to be capable of manufacture at a minimum of cost, will be adapted to facilitate disconnection of the cord from the device with as much ease and facility as ispermitted when connecting the cord thereto, will permit disconnection of the cord without removal of an associated electrical device attached to the connector, such as a lamp bulb, and will compose separably connected partsvvhich will permit interchange of the respective components of the device.

Other objects will appear from the following, description, the claims appended thereto, and fromthe annexed drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views, and wherein:

Figure l is a side elevational view of a connector formed according to the present invention, a conventional electric lamp bulb beingshown attached thereto;

Figure 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view through the connector and bulb substantially on line 2 -2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse sectional view, on the same scale as Figure 2, on line 3,3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view, on the same scale as Figure 2, on line 4-4 of Figure 2; and

Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of the connector per se, portions being broken away. j j

The reference numeral has been generally applied to a connector formed according to the present invention.

In the illustrated example, the connector. is adapted. to serve as a socket into which can be screwed a conventional electric lamp bulb, However, as will presently appear, the device is such that it can be formed asa plug-in type of connector, or other form of electrical connector usable for providing an electrical connection between. cord and appliance, cord and convenience outlet,

or between two cords.

In the illustrated example, the connector includes a base 12 of electrically insulative material, such as molded plastic, having an axial through bore 14 which, at its outer end, opens upon the end surface of an axial projection or boss 16:

' At the end thereof remote from the projection 16, the base 12 includes a shallow, circular recess 18, and mounted in said recess are closely spaced, electrically conductive tongues 19, 20 formed from thin metal material or the "ice like, and secured fixedly to the base by means of screws 22, 24 respectively.

The tongue 19 has a triangular body apertured for exten sion of screw 22 therethrough, said body at one end terminating in a sharp point projecting radially, inwardly of the bore 14 and closely adjacent the end of the bore that opens into the recess 18. At its 'other or larger end, the body of the tongue 19 is integral with a spring arm 26, the outer or free end of which is offset in a direction outwardly of the recess as shown in Figure 2, so as to project, when not under tension, slightly out of the recess, that is, beyond the recessed end of the body.

The free end of the arm 26 is disposed within a depression 28 formed in the wall of and communicating with recess 18.

The tongue 20, like the tongue 19, has a body apertured for extension of the screw 24 therethrough, said body being formed with a sharply pointed tip projecting radially inwardly of the bore 14 and closely adjacent the tip of the tongue 19. At the other end of the body of tongue 20, there is integrally formed a spring arm 30, reversely bent to extend under the body of tongue 20, and having its free end normally projecting slightly out of the recess beyond the recessed end of body 12, at a location substantially centrally of the recess and body. The tongue 30 is of springable material, like the arm 26, for a purpose to be made presently apparent.

A screw 32 is threadable radially of body 12 within a threaded bore formed in a rib 34 integrally molded on the body 12 in recess 18, into engagement with an electrical conductor 36 extendable through bore 14. Thus, when the screw is moved inwardly it will displace the conductor laterally of the bore to cause the points of the tongues 19 and 20 to pierce the insulating covering of the conductor and to make electrical contact with the leads therewithin.

Connectable detachably to the body is a connector member 38 of electrically insulative material. In the illustrated example, the connector member 38 is of sleevelike formation, having at one end an outwardly directed circumferential flange 40 on which is rotatable a spanner nut 42 threadedly connectable to threads 44 formed externally upon the body 12. When the nut 42 is turned to engage the same with the associated threads of the body, it draws the connector member 38 into end to end, abutting relationship with the body.

The connector member 38 in the illustrated example has an end to end axial bore communicating with the recess 18 in the connected relationship of the connector member and body 12, and mounted in said bore is a coarse threaded liner 46 of electrically conductive material, in contact at its inner end with a short, electrically conductive connecting piece 48. The piece 48 is disposed adjacent the outer periphery of the member 38, and accordingly, when the member 38 is brought into end to end abutting relationship with the body 12, the connector piece 48 will be in contact with the outwardly offset free end of the arm 26 to provide an electrical connection between the liner 46 and said am 26.

A conventional incandescent bulb 50 is illustrated, threaded into the liner 46. When the bulb is threaded into the liner to the maximum extent, the center post 54 thereof will engage against the outer end of the arm 30. It will be understood, in this connection, that when the member 38 is abutted against the body 12, the connector piece 48 will bear against the outer end of the arm 26,

the body 12. A good electrical connection is thus made between the electrical device or appliance 50 and the connector 10, so that said appliance will be energized on the flow of current through the leads of the electrical conductor 36. i

The construction illustrated and described is such that the base 12 can be used interchangeably not only with a bulb receiving connector member 38, but also, with-other connector members used for other purposes' For example, the connector member can be provided with spaced electrically conductive prongs one of which would terminate in a connector piece 48 and the other of which would make electrical connection with the arms 30, said prongs being adapted for insertion in a conventional convenience outlet. Further, the connector member 38 can be of any other form, it being important only that the connector member 38 have means engaging the arm 26 or 30, to provide an electrical circuit therethrough when the device is in use. The cost of manufacture is thus lowered considerably, since the body 12 is usable with any of a large number of diiferent types of electrical connectors. Electrical connector 38, for example, can be a double socket or the like, or alternatively, can be formed with an externally threaded male plug threadable into an electrical socket.

If desired, the cord 36 can be detached from the base 12 without removing the electrical appliance 50 or, if connector member 38 is, for example, an electrical plug, Without pulling the plug out of the associated receptacle. To do this, it is merely necessary that the screw 32 be backed off, out of engagement with the cord 36. When this is done, the cord 36 may now be pulled in an axial direction, outwardly from base 12, and due to the resiliency of the pointed tips of. the'tongues 19, 20, and the slight curvature of said tips as shown in Figure 2, the cord will disengage from the tips and be extracted from the body or base 12 of the device.

Similarly, without disturbing the electrical connection between the tongues and the cord 36, the connector member 38 can be removed completely from the base 12, by backing off the spanner nut 42, for substitution of a different type of connector member or, if desired, merely for the purpose of breaking the electrical connection to the appliance 50.

It is believed apparent that the invention is not necessarily confined to the specific use or uses thereof described above, since it may be utilized for any purpose to which it may be suited. Nor is the invention to be necessarily.

limited to the specific construction illustrated and described, since such construction is only intended to be illustrative of the principles, it being considered that the invention comprehends any minor change in construction a that may be permitted within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical connecting device comprising a base of electrically insulative material having a radially disposed surface and an axial bore; a set screw threaded in said base and protrudable at its inner end into said bore said bore being adapted to receive electrical conductor therethrough; a pair of tongues secured to said base and having sharpened tips projecting radially inwardly of the bore diametrically opposite the inner end of said screw, whereby to cause said conductor to be impaled upon said tips and the leads thereof to establish electrical contact with said tips upon inward radial movement of said screw; a connector member of electrically insulative material formed separately from said base and having a surface abuttable with said base surface, said tongues respectively including conductive arms projecting beyond said base surface, said member having electrically conductive elements adapted for engagement with respective ones of said arms; and means for detachably engaging said memhe t s d b se- 2. An electrical connecting device comprising a base of electrically insulative material, said basehaving a bore adapted to receive an electrical conductor therethrough, the base having a portion defining a recess at one end thereof with the bore extending into communication with said recess; a set screw threadedly engaged in said base and movable into a position whereat a portion thereof projects inwardly of the bore at that end ofthe bore opening into said recess; a pair of spaced, electrically conductive tongues secured to said base Within said recess, said tongues terminating at one end in sharpened tips projecting radially inwardly of said bore at a location substantially diametrically opposite said screw whereby to cause the leads of the conductor to be impaled upon the respective tips responsive to movement of said screw radially inwardly to provide an electrical connection between said leads and the respective tongues, said tongues at their other end being provided with resilient arms tensioned to normally project out of the recess; a connector member of electrically insulative material formed separately from said base, said member including means for making an electrical connection with said arms upon engagement of said member against said base portion; and means for detachably securing said member to said base.

3. A device in accordance with claim 2 wherein said detachably securing means comprises a spanner nut swiveled upon said member, said base having threads engageable by said nut.

4. An electrical connecting devicecomprising a body formed of electrically insulative material, said body having a portion at one end thereof defining av recess and having an axial bore extending from end to end of said body and communicating at one end with said recess for receiving an electrical conductor therethrough for disposition of one end of said conductor within said recess; a set screw threadedly engaged in the base radially thereof and movable to a position in which its inner end projects into said bore for shifting said conductor end radially within said bore; a pair of electrically conductive tongues terminating at one end in sharpened tips projecting radially inwardly of said bore at a location diametrically opposite said screw whereby inwardmovement of said,

screw impales said conductor end upon said;tips to provide electrical contact between the leads of the conductor and tongues, said tongues being secured to said body Within the recess and terminating at their other ends in resilient arms tensioned to normally project out. of the recess; a sleeve-like connector memberformed separately from said body; a threaded liner of electrically. conductive material engaged in the bore of said member; a connector piece in contact at one end with said liner, said piece at its other end being adapted to engage one of said resilient arms on assembly, of said member in end to end abutting relationship with said body portion, said liner being adapted to receive the base of an incandescent bulb with the center post of said bulb in contact with the other of said resilient arms; and means for detachably securing.

said member to said body.

5. A device in accordance with claim 4 further characterized in that said member includes an outwardly directed circumferential flange at the end thereof abutting.

said base portion, and said detachably securing means comprises a spanner nut swiveled upon said member. and projecting beyond said flange, said body having, at the end in abutment with said member, external threads engageable by said nut.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Norden Jan. 31, 1905 Amon a June 11,- 1907' 

